Julie: Cupertino tutor

Certified Tutor

I graduated from Earlham College, a small liberal arts school in Indiana, with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. My main focus was ecology and evolutionary biology, but I also took a lot of microbiology classes. I was a tutor and teaching assistant for classes from Ecological Biology to Cell Physiology. I helped capture and collect data from endangered Allen Cays iguanas, observed maternal behavior in vervet monkeys, and did an independent research project looking for West Nile Virus in bird specimens from the Joseph Moore Museum of Natural History. I traveled extensively in college, all on biology-focused abroad programs, visiting East Africa, Ecuador, the Galapagos islands, and the Bahamas. I also studied the plant and animal life here in North America.

As a tutor and teaching assistant, I did group and individual tutoring, sometimes working with a student only once or twice and other times weekly or twice-weekly sessions all semester long. I like to work with students to figure out their own ideal learning system, because everyone is so individual, and tailor study sessions to a student's individual strengths. I think a good teacher helps a student with learning skills that will set them up for independent success in the rest of their academic career. My favorite teachers have all been patient, encouraging, and enthusiastic, and I try to bring that into my tutoring.

I tutor biology, everything from microbiology to environmental science. My favorite might be ecology: literally, the root words in ecology translate to "the science of the house," meaning the study of systems and parts of systems interact with each other--how different organisms within a species affect each other, or how different species affect each other, or how the environment affects organisms or organisms affect their environment. Depending on the day, my favorite subjects might also be plant biology, animal behavior, or evolutionary biology. I also love to help with writing essays or lab reports for biology classes, because good science needs to be communicated clearly to be useful.

My teaching philosophy is that everyone can be successful. The same strategies won't work for everyone, and certain subjects might be harder for some people, but hard work and good studying skills will always be more important than natural talent. I also think that biology is an amazing, inspiring field of study, and that there's something to be excited about for everyone.

When I'm not tutoring, I love to sing, go bird watching, read, and cook. I also keep a collection of house plants!